Widow's Watch is Burning, 2015

Secrets are in the open, but are they worth dying for...?

What happened:
Pearl:
Pearl spoke with some of Lady Flint’s servants and convinced them to disclose what transpired at the meeting between the Bolton soldiers and her. One of the servants mentioned that the soldiers had brought up the fact that Lady Flint has a newborn, and that their hounds love the taste of young flesh.

Pearl then went with Ser Gregor to meet up with her informant at The Lusty Mermaid, where she fed a street urchin a few biscuits, and he directed them to the man. He welcomed them both, in spite of the very dangerous times, and basically warned them that this situation has become very dire. He informs the two that he knows they have been very busy, so busy that they didn’t notice that there were ravens sent from the envoy, and a messenger was sent by foot as well 3 days ago.

When she goes and speaks to her Aunt, Lady Flint is taken aback by the fact that Pearl went behind her back to discern something private. Pearl defended herself by claiming that she did this to protect her family. At this, Lady Flint discloses that she is fearful for her family, and is preparing herself to send Pearl away with her newborn son in tow. She asks that Pearl tell no one, and to be ready.

Tiffaly:
Tiffaly goes to speak with her noble friends, using her court-wise skill, and finds that the nobility are nervous given the current situation with the envoy and how Lady Pearl handled the situation at the dinner recently.

Tiffaly can sense that they are nervous about what may happen. In response, Tiffaly convinces the people there that the envoy in not to be trusted, and that as an example, they have a man who they will be executing for a crime that he did not commit. This riles up the group, and it looks like they will be making sure that this does not go unnoticed. Furthermore, Tiffaly tried to soothe the crowd’s nervousness with calming words from her faith, but she sees that they are placating her by listening, but are not taking these words to heart.

Gregor:
Gregor has made one of his beliefs that he wishes to see this envoy gone from Widow’s Watch. He accompanies Pearl in her scenes, and has made it clear that he wishes these men gone.

Mainae:
Mainae has been made aware of the current situations and has been calculating a counter strike to the Bolton envoy.

Hayleigh:
So Hayleigh awakens in a cell, cold, dark, and dank. There is a dim light from down the hall outside of the bars, and she calls out when she sees boot at the edge with a toe sticking out. He stumbles from his seat, and goes over to speak with Hayleigh, and she sees that it is the same guard who knocked her out at the inn. He tells her to be quiet and not to cause trouble, especially since she wouldn’t want to disturb Lord Tanner, and he smiles at that.

Hayleigh attempts to reason with the guard, and even threatens him when everyone finds out what has happened, but he walks away. After a few minutes, she notices a young girl’s face appear at the edge of her vision, and she begins to talk to this girl. The girl, Kiyana, says that her mother is one of the servants in the house, and asks Hayleigh if she is OK. Hayleigh says she isn’t, and if there is someway that this girl could help her. The girl says that her mother is upstairs with one of the guards, but Hayleigh persuades the girl to try and go to the Inn in town to inform Ser Willem that she is here. Kiyana agrees to do this, and leaves to go and try to get help.

Willem:
He has just arrived on the top of the wall with the help of a friend from the Inn at Seastone, Morgan. Willem scanned the area, seeing the animal coop, garden, and the fortified building. In addition, he sees the 2 guards on the wall at the top of the gate, talking to each other while they watch the town.

Willem decides to sneak up the corner, and to sit behind the wall while Morgan creeps around to the other side with his bow nocked and ready. When Willem knocks on the wall, one of the guards slowly makes his way towards his location. As soon as the guard is on the other side of the wall, Willem leaps out from around the corner, sword drawn, with the intent of grabbing the soldier by the front of his shirt and holding the sword up to his throat. Unfortunately, the guard reacts quickly, pulling back from Willem, but in doing so he bumps up against the waist-high wall overlooking the front of the gate. Wasting no time, Willem runs up to him and uses the hilt of his sword to strike the soldier in the face. With that blow, the soldier falls back, over the wall and to the ground 20 feet below. When Willem turns to the other guard, he sees that the guard is looking in his direction, watching him with his mouth agape, as if he is in shock of what he just saw. Willem calls out to him to drop his weapon, but the guard does not even react, except for a spreading stain in the front of his shirt. A moment later, the guard collapses, revealing the arrow protruding from the back of his neck.

Willem tells Morgan to release the horses from the stables, and then to burn it down while he will go down into the fortified building and into the keep to look for Hayleigh. Willem passes down through what looks like an empty barracks, onto the ground between the keep and the wall. He then goes through a backdoor into the kitchen, dining room and sitting room, passing through the front entrance. He walks into a storage room, where Willem hears the combined sounds of moaning and grunting between 2 people the next room over, doubles back, and walks into a central room that contains a spiral staircase going either up or down, and doors going in all 3 directions. Willem quickly decides to head downstairs, and is doing so when he stops as he sees a pair of eyes staring back at him from the darkness going downwards…

While Pearl Flint was asked by Lady Flint to attend to another matter (side quest), Haleigh Slate was asked to appear before the Lady, who was in the presence of a soldier, dressed all in violet, going by the name of TDFK Fist (temporary). The lady informed Haleigh that there have been rumors of the Stark boy having been seen north of here, and to avoid attracting too much attention she is sending both of them as representatives to search and see if these rumors have any bearing, and if so to find the boy.
In the meantime, the rest of the party is still making their way back while escorting Roose Ryswell and the rest of the Bolton envoy. Tensions are running somewhat high as the groups has been attacked by Karstark men that seemed to feign their attack on the Bolton men while going for the kill on the Flint escort. The escort will be arriving at Widow’s Watch shortly…
While this was happening, Haleigh and Fist (and their driver) were traveling North on the scraggly trail to the hamlet of Seastone, when about halfway there they encountered a poorly dressed fellow who from all appearances was going to rob them. He was QUICKLY disarmed by Fist and confessed that he was merely trying to help the starving people in the hamlet. He states that there are children among them. They are unsure what they will do…

Ser Gregor and his father Ser Vayon Peak have just fought their Trial by Combat, with Ser Gregor giving his father no quarter, and decapiates him, becoming the new Lord Peak. Soon after, word comes that Lady Flint has gone into labor and that the envoy from House Bolton has been spotted on the edges of Lady Flint’s territory.

Mainae, Ser Gregor, and Tiffaly the acolyte, with a retinue of soldiers and the Lady Pearl Flint herself leave to go and meet this envoy and to escort them back to Widow’s Watch. On their way there, uncertain about her aunt’s condition, and with the risk of something terrible happening when they meet the envoy, Pearl Flint is convinced to go back to Widow’s Watch with all haste and to make preparations there for the arrival of the host of soldiers.

When arriving she sees the ward of her house, Lady Hayleigh, and asks her of any news that has happened while she has been away these past few days.

In the meantime, the escort finally meets up with the host, and sees a large (20-30) group of soldiers, with no sight of Lord Bolton or his legitimized heir Roose, but another younger noble from the Western reaches of Westerns, Rickard Ryswell, of House Ryswell.

So while Pearl was being active, Mainae and Tiffaly were each doing their own things:

Mainae went to House Peak to ask questions of the blacksmith there, who stiffened and got real quiet when Mainae asked him about the fancy swords that Lord Peak had. From there, things got very eerie for her as runners went out to spread the word that this woman mercenary from another house was talking about this sword.
When she was sent to Lord Peak, he was livid with her and told her that she should keep her mouth shut, and as he leaned in to tell her this, Mainae got a whiff of the cloves on his breath, which sent her spiralling towards awful memories of her recent past.
At this point Mainae went to go and see House Barnell, but ran into the captain of the guard going to House Flint on an urgent matter, and had Mainae accompany them.

Tiffaly was sent out by the abbess to find out what she could of the spreading flux. Being the daughter of a noble, Tiffaly went to House Flint to see what rumors she could find in the court.

Tiffaly shows up to House Flint while Pearl is saying goodbye to Gregor Peak and his soldiers. They converse and Tiffaly finds out about Botley being held captive in the dungeons, so of course she convinces some of the guards to let her down and offer him council from the Old Gods.

Mainae shows up with the Barnell soldiers, and is told to walk around the perimeter while they go up with Pearl to see lady Flint. Gregor goes up and leaves his soldiers behind, which Mainae uses as an opportunity to draw some more information out of them. it is during this time, that the soldiers ask what House Barnell is doing here, and seems very on edge. Mainae also sees a Peak soldier sneak into House Flint…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the soldiers draw steel and begin attacking anyone close by to the Peak wagons. Mainae defeats the soldier in front of her, then begins to run in and head to the dungeons.
In the dungeons, Tiffaly finds Botley the boil, hanging from the chains on his wrists and unconscious. She offers him a prayer, and he briefly comes out of it, mentioning Lord Peak and saying things like “he made me do it…” before fading back into unconsciousness. While she is there, she hears some scuffling from the entrance to the dungeons and an awful gurgling noise coming from someone. She tries to hide by sneaking into one of the empty cells nearby, and sees a figure coming down the row of cells, weapon drawn. he glances into the cell that Tiffaly is hiding in, but continues to move down towards Botley.
A moment later, Tiffaly hears another person coming down the hall, and sees what looks like Pearl with a sword in hand, moving down the hall. She goes to check on Botley’s cell when a voice behind her threatens her with death!
Pearl is attacked and Tiffaly runs out to defend her. in the ensuing scuffle, Tiffaly is cut on her side, twice, and the person is looking for the kill, when Mainae runs out of the darkness and runs him through with her sword, killing him.

So Pearl is sleeping in her room after learning of the death of the stable boy. When she awakens, she finds that a note was left for her on the table. On it is written a stark warning of the fact that she is bringing too much attention to herself, and an invitation to meet with a secret friend, in the alley next to the Lusty Mermaid. She tells herself that she is intrigued, and she will go that night under cover of darkness to meet this individual. She also goes to Lady a Flint to discuss some of these things with her, and to ask whether given the dangers that have been present lately, whether it would be possible for Pearl to stay with Lady Flint in her chambers. lady Flint would consider it…

Across the way, Ser Gregor is awakening, and looking to train and to see his betrothed again. After training, he heads over to House Barnell to see Eyva, and is warmly greeted when he arrives by Lady Barnell. As he heads over to look for Eyva, he is asked to go and see Lord Barnell, who is in his solar with Kieran Orell, his captain of the guard. Lord Barnell is glad to see that things are well with Gregor and is glad that all of the ugliness of the trial is over and that Gregor was able to clear his name. But he also asks Gregor in an honest manner of what happened out there on the fields next to the farms, and how his family is holding up, given the threat that the flux poses to the area and the rumor of a Bolton emmisary on his way to the area.
Gregor responds by reassuring Lord Barnell and his captain of the guard that things are well at their house, but also as an afterthought mentions that he is also puzzled by a sword that his father had that is a smaller, but exact copy of the sword that was involved in the incidents at the farmhouses. Both Barnell and Kieran ask if he is sure of what he saw, and once Gregor agrees that he did, they both thank him for his time with them and send him on his way with Eyva.

That night, Pearl heads down to the Lusty Mermaid to meet up with this mysterious individual who may have more information about what is happening in Widow’s Watch.
While there she meets up with this mysterious individual in the alley, who seems as if he is willing to help Pearl, but she is curious as to why he is willing to do this. She also asks how she would trust him with anything he has told her?
Amongst the things he said, are that Lady Flint is in danger, from the coming emissary of House Bolton, there is the present danger from the flux, and to earn Pearl’s trust, this shadowy figure tells her that Botley the Boil has much to say, but will not be given the chance if the killer sent to silence him is successful. Time is short he warns her. And at that, he tells her how to send a signal to him if necessary, and bids her farewell.

The following day, Lord Peak summons Gregor to accompany a group of soldiers going to House Flint to pick up some supplies that she was housing for them. Gregor is to go with them, pick up the supplies, and return home. At House Flint, Lady a Flint asks Pearl if she would await the arrival of the soldiers from House Peak and welcome their son Gregor into the solar for food and drink. lady Flint would like to know if Pearl would be willing to ask Gregor questions about his house and whether things are well there. As Pearl is leaving, Lady Flint also lets Pearl know that she has decided to have Pearl stay with her as a safety precaution.
Gregor and his men show up, the soldiers go off to collect the supplies, while Gregor is welcomed by Pearl and offered food and drink in the solar. There they talk pleasantries with each other, but nothing of great value is mentioned by both parties. Pearl takes Gregor back to the entrance where the supplies have been loaded up, and they part ways. But as Gregor is riding away from House Flint, he encounters a small, but well-armed group of soldiers from house Barnell heading towards House Flint. Amongst the riders is the Captain of the guards for house Barnell, who glances at Gregor as they pass, nodding slowly, with a grim visage.
Seeing that, Gregor and the riders go back to House Flint, where Kieran Orell is asking Pearl for an audience with Lady Flint, due to an urgent message from Lord Barnell. Gregor, being the chivalrous knight, demands to know what is the meaning for all of these soldiers being here and for the purpose of this unannounced visit. Kieran firmly, but politely states that this is House Barnell business and of no importance to House Peak, but Gregor manages to convince both Kieran and Pearl that if this information is so urgent that he should also be present to hear it. Both Kieran and Pearl give in, and so they all head upstairs to see Lady Flint while Flint’s soldiers remain downstairs.
In Lady Flint’s solar, with all of them present, Kieran glances over to Gregor as he explains that he has in his hand a letter from Lord Barnell, accusing Lord Peak of being responsible for the flux that is plaguing the farmers, and for the deaths of House Flint’s soldiers. He mentions the information that Gregor gave them the other day, and how there can be irrefutable proof of this in whatever Botley the Boil has to say. Given this, all agree that there is no other option but to go interrogate Botley as soon as possible, especially since it’s been a few days so he’s most likely ready to talk. So Lady Flint remains in her solar while the rest of them go down to interrogate Botley.
While they are heading down, they start to hear the sounds of people yelling, and as they get closer they hear the sounds of sword fighting. Kieran and Gregor go to see what the fighting is about while Pearl states that she will be heading down to the dungeon alone to check on Botley.
Kieran and Gregor go down to the entrance to see that Gregor’s men had begun attacking and killing the Flint people downstairs. Both Kieran and Gregor rush in to attack and end up killing all of the Flint men, who taunt Gregor as a traitor. Furthermore, Gregor notices that of all the men that he came with, there is one soldier missing…
in the dungeons, Pearl heads towards the cells, where it is very quiet…. Too quiet. As she approaches the first gate to get into the cells, she finds both soldiers that man the area are on the ground, dead or dying, she picks up a dirk and a blade, and continues on into the dungeon, heading towards the cell where Botley is kept. As she slowly moves forward, he sees the hook that had the keys for all the cells is empty, and hears a squeaking as a cell towards the end of the cells is opened. Pearl rushes down and gets to Botley’s cell, where his doos is open, and she looks in to see Botley still shackled against the wall, but no one else inside. As she looks Round, she hears a voice behind her say, “you are going to die.”

So Pearl goes to explain everything to Lady Flint, who is taken aback by the adventures of Pearl, and the admission that Ser Gregor was there at the massacre of the Flint soldiers.

Pearl goes back to her room to rest, and while she is sleeping, a peasant somehow sneaks into her room with a dagger to kill her. She awakens, and tries her magic to disarm the peasant, but fails and is attacked. She suffers a minor injury to her arm as the two of them scuffle, while Pearl is yelling for help the entire time. Fortunately, a soldier hears her cries for help and kills the man. This begins an investigation into how/why someone would break in to attack Pearl.

At this time, Ser Gregor’s trial begins, and Pearl sends the head chef, Fabian, to go and observe in her stead. Afterwards, Pearl goes to the stables and gives 2 gold to a stable boy to go and see what he can discover about the incoming plague.

Ser Gregor awaken the morning after Mainae saved his life and the life of Eyva Barnell. During the day, he is called to speak with his father, Lord Vayon Peak, who is relieved that his son and heir is OK, and to inform Gregor that he should be prepared in the coming days for action with Lord Bolton’s envoy on his way to Widow’s Watch. It is during this exchange that Gregor sees what appears to a sword wrapped up In a gray cloth on the table behind his father. When questioned, his father shows him the short sword with a moonstone pommel, and says that this was an old gift to the house. He brushes away any mention of how this sword is a copy of the sword that was held by the infected trader at the beginning of this whole mess. Before Gregor leaves, his father asks him if he would do a great favor for him, and is ready to tell Gregor something, but at the last moment relents and says nevermind.

Mainae after trial goes to speak with Maester Branden and Farris Leed about the confiscated sword and its connections to who may be responsible for the flux. She persuades them take the sword to someone who may be able to identify it, and they allow her to accompany them to master smith Petyr, who only needed a few moments to recognize it as the work of the smith from House Peak!! WHY?….

Ser Gregor is led to House Flint, where all of his possessions are removed, including this fancily decorated, yet incriminating sword and he is placed in a nicely furnished suite of rooms, and given sumptuous food and drink, as befits the son of a lord.

Mainae leaves Zandel Vree and the wounded soldier in the farmstead, warning them of other soldiers and to be wary of any attempt to help them since it could be a trap meant to kill them and remove their usefulness as witnesses. Mainae adds the final touch of mentioning that they should play up their illness if they are suspicious of the people. At that point she heads to House Barnell.
Ser Gregor is afforded visitors to see him, including that of his betrothed, Eyva Barnell, daughter of Lord Barnell. Relieved to see that he is ok, Eyva informs Gregor that Botley the Boil has been spreading terrible lies about him all over the house regarding his involvement in the slaughter of the Flint soldiers. Gregor requests that Eyva find Mainae Phyre, soldier in House Barnell’s troops, to come and speak to him since she was there and would know of the evidence that was taken. She agrees to do this and leaves him.
At House Barnell, Mainae makes her way to Farris Leed (the Steward), Kieran Orell (captain of the guards), and Lord Barnell. Here she informs them of what has transpired, the information regarding the unique sword, and the whereabouts of Ser Gregor and the few survivors of the battle that remained at the farmstead. Mainae is given a writ of passage to House Flint, where she is to be the eyes and ears of House Barnell, and to do no actions in the name of the house.
Mainae resupplies for the trip, and riding House Flint’s destrier, she rides to House Flint, passing the village on the outskirts on the way there. While there, she picks up a few tidbIts of information in the form of rumors. Rumors are: the plague is here, sent by the Bolton’s. There is a representative from the Bolton’s on his way to Widows Watch as we speak. And lastly, that there was a battle a few nights ago where many Flint soldiers died at the hands of the Bolton’s. In return, Mainae starts spreading her own rumor, that there is a spy in House Flint from House Bolton, who has a big boil on his nose….
Making her way to House Flint, Mainae hears rumors of a noble soldier held captive, and is found by Lady Barnell, who tells of Gregor’s request to have her speak to him. Making her way to Gregor, they confer with each other about what has happened and what needs to be done. Lastly, Mainae asks to be taken to where Gregor’s supplies are so that she can see that the mysterious sword is still ok.
On her way there, she observes a soldier carrying a blanket with the mysterious sword sticking out and loudly calls out that this sword does not belong in his hands. The soldier replies that he is merely rolling the orders of the soldiers from House Peak that are outside and requested that this sword be brought to them. Given the the strangeness of the request, Mainae asks that the captain of the guard, Dirron Brakker, be made aware of this situation given the significance of the sword. Once made aware, Captain Brakker takes possession of the sword and notifies everyone in the room that this sword will be his until the trial begins.
The following day, Ser Gregor is brought forth into the hall where a council has convened, consisting of his father, Lord Peak, as well as Lord Barnell, the Maester of House Flint, and the captain Brakker. A crowd has assembled to see the proceedings and one his fathers advisors is there to speak on Gregor’s behalf.
This is where the story will pick up next time….

How he lost his left eye...

12-7-2015

Ser Gregor goes back and plays out the ranged and melee battle that took place about a year before the current events. This is the battle where he and his close friend, Ser Cedrik Fowler, with a.group of 5 soldiers, go on patrol at the behest of House Flint.

The group has been told that there have reports of soldiers from House Bolton moving through the areas north of here, and that they want to avoid any snooping from those groups.

While on patrol with Ser Cedrik, they stumble upon two young boys and their father, who has recently been shot with an arrow through the midsection. Ser Gregor quickly goes to administer aid and to treat the wound, which he does an excellent job of. In return, the boys are quick to tell the group of soldiers in black that were moving through the woods.

The group moves through, sneaks up to the group, and begins to fire at them from the top of a hill. The enemies scatter and try to run away, but Ser Gregor’s group contains them with arrow fire and drops more of the soldiers.

They finally charge in, and finish off the rest of them with their melee weapons. Turns out the soldiers were a mix of Ser Bolton’s men, with men from Karstark…. Why are they working together?

Mainae and Ser Gregor

After the battle, Mainae interrogates the sole remaining soldier from the battle, and finds out that Botley the Boil was responsible for sending the soldiers to kill the PC’s, and to recover the sword given to the farmer by the trader. Even the soldier doesn’t know why they were sent to recover a sword.

But right after interrogating the soldier, a group of commoners and farmers approach the PC’s, hearing the sounds of battle and people dying. The mob calls out to the PC’s, demanding to know why they killed some of Lady Flint’s men, and are ready to take justice into their own hands. During the battle of wits, Mainae manages to convince the mob that their intentions and just.

In the morning, while breaking camp, the PC’s notice a large group of soldiers from Widow’s Watch approaching. Mainae and the trader stealthily head off to try to see who is approaching and see a large group of Lady Flint’s soldiers, including Botley the Boil among them. They rush back to camp and taking the last soldier with them, head to a nearby farm to hide.

Ser Gregor breaks camp and then approaches the group to see what is going on. The leader of the group seeing Ser Gregor, asks what the meaning of all of this is, since they have heard reports of the sounds of battle and the accounts of dead soldiers. See Gergor is honest, and admits that he killed all the soldiers, since they came to kill Ser Gregor and his group. The captain is willing to listen, but unsure of all of this information, so he asks Ser Gregor to put down his arms and to come to House Flint to clear up this confusion. They go to the site of the battle, see the shallow graves of the soldiers, and then leave to take Ser Gregor to House Flint… Botley the Boil is not pleased by this…